Selective rotary printing apparatus



1965 R. KELLY 3,164,082

SELECTIVE ROTARY PRINTING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 as v I 69 \T 1+ u I J L 8| 80 7 6 Lil 66 .2

INVENTOR.

ROBERT KELLX BY AT TORNE Y.

Jan. 5, 1965 R. KELLY SELECTIVE ROTARY PRINTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 22, 1962 Fig. 5.

m VI.

7 v U 5 6 Tw m M IF' 2 T n T 4 6 ZJ H N 2 2 I EL R 2 B 0 [IHI- P M T I ll- Y Jan. 5, 1965 R. KELLY SELECTIVE ROTARY PRINTING APPARATUS INVENTOR. ROBERT KELLX 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY.

Filed June 22, 1962 United States Patent Othce 3,i64,i 82 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 3,164,082 SELECTIVE ROTARY PRINTING APPARATUS Robert Kelly, Clawson, Mich, assignor to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed June 22, 1962, Ser. No. 204,405 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-91) This invention relates generally to printing apparatus and particularly to mechanism for selectively setting a print wheel.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide for a rotary print wheel, an improved mechanism for readily changing settable print elements thereon without need of access to the parts or tools to effect the setting.

Another object of the invention is to provide a push button controlled setting of the print means of a print wheel.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section of a printing apparatus embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal seectional view, taken along the line 66 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 77 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 i a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 5, and

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the rotary printer includes a supporting member or gear housing 10 in which a driven vertical shaft 12 is j ournalled and is rotated by suitable gearing 13. Afiixed to the upper end of the shaft 12, such as by means of a key 14, there is a driven rotatable member print wheel 16 which may be of any suitable type. In the present printing apparatus, the print wheel 16 has diametrically oppositely disposed arcuate portions or heads 18 to the peripheries of which printing plates 22 are suitably attached, respectively, the printing plates having the required print elements 24. A suitable inking roller 26 and a suitable pressure roller 28 are provided for the print wheel 16, the pressure roller preferably being of the reciprocal type, movable into and out of engagement with the print elements 24 in synchronized relation to rotation of the print wheel, and to the approach of a documentor check 32.

In addition to the main print heads 18, the print wheel 16 carries a pair of smaller print wheels 34 which, in the present instance, are batch or block print wheels. As is Well known, such print wheels are provided where it is desired to print the same symbol or number on the back of each check of a batch of checks of a certain classification, such as checks drawn on a particular account, or checks drawn on a particular bank etc. As shown, the batch print wheels 34 are preferably diametrically oppositely positioned on the print wheel outwardly of the axis of wheel 16 such that the peripheries of the batch print wheels are in the same rotary path of travel as the peripheries of print elements 24 of print heads 18. Also mounted on the print wheel 16 there is preferably a pair of date print means 36 rigidly mounted adjacent the pe riphery thereof or so that the peripheries of print means 36 are in the same rotary path as the print elements 24.

The batch print wheels 34 are rotatably mounted respectively on a pair of vertical stub shafts 38 which have their lower ends fixed in and to the main print wheel 16. The print Wheels 34 are each provided around the peripheries thereof with equally angularly spaced print elements, preferably to print the numerals 0 to 9, as illusstrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. In these views, the zero print elements are at the print positions, or are in radially disposed alignment with the axis of the print wheel, but it will be apparent that any of the other print elements 1 to 9 may be brought into printing position by rotating the batch print wheels. Mounted on each of the batch print Wheel shafts 38 there is a driven pinion 40, the number of teeth of which correspond to the number of print elements 0 to 9, the pinions being attached to the print wheels 34 to impart rotation thereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that where batch numbers, of more than one digit are required, additional batch print wheels may be added to the shafts 38, interconnected by Well known suitable tens transfer mechanisms.

In accordance with the invention, I provide for readily and conveniently changing the settings of the batch print wheels 34 without need of tools or of direct access to the wheels. To accomplish this, an upstanding shaft 42 is provided on and is carried by the print wheel 16 and journalled on shaft 42 is a ratchet wheel 44 in mesh with both of the pinions 40. In the present construction, the shaft 42 has an enlarged lower end 43 which may be secured to the print wheel 16, such as by means of studs 45. Directly above the ratchet wheel 44 there i a pawl operating arm 46 which is journaleled on the shaft 42 and carried by the arm 46 on one end thereof is a pawl 48 engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel 44. On the other end of the arm 46 is provided a weight member 50 to counterbalance the weight of the pawl 48 to effect balanced rotation of the print wheel 16. The pawl 48 is in the form of a pinion and this pinion is fixed to the lower end of a shaft 52 which is journalled in the operating arm 46 for rotation in one direction only. A resilient stop arm 54 holds the ratchet wheel 44 against rotation when the arm 46 is rotated in the other or counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 6, the stop member being suitably mounted on the upper surface of one of the print heads 18.

In order to rotate the ratchet wheel 44 and thus set the print wheels 34, a pair of diametrically oppositely positioned cam members 60 are provided on the upper surface of the operating arm 46 cooperable respectively with a pair of vertically movable cam followers 62 carried by outwardly directed flanges 64 of a sleeve 66. The sleeve 66 is keyed, as at 68, to the shaft 42 for rotation therewith during printing operation, the key havinga loose fit, as shown in FIG. 3, with the shaft so that the sleeve may be vertically moved to urge the followers 62 against the cams 6t Also,'the cam followers 62, rotating with shaft 42 during the printing operation, act through the cam 60 to carry the arm 46 therewith and together with the pawl 48 connect the ratchet wheel 44 to the shaft 42. A pair of biasing springs 65 are provided for yieldingly holding the cam followers 62 in engagement with their cams 60, these springs also functioning as the return springs for the arm 46. In the present arrangement, the springs 65 have corresponding ends attached respectively to a pair of pins 67, which are diametrically oppositely arranged on and secured to the arms of the pawl operating lever 46, as shown in FIG. 5. Theother ends of the springs 65 may be conveniently anchored to the stub shafts 38 of the batch print wheels 34.

Above the cam follower members 62, the vertically movable sleeve 66 is journalled, as at '70, in a collar 72 which is pivoted, alt-74, to and between the arms 76 of 'a yoke 78, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The yoke 78 is in turn pivoted by means of trunnions or stdus 80 to a mounting 81 which is secured to the top of a bracket 82, mounted on the gear housing It Downwardly directed operating arms 84-, integral respectvely with the yoke arms 76 are pivotally connected by a transverse rod 83 to a connecting rod 35 of a solenoid 86. The solenoid is under control of a normally open push button switch 8%. In order to reduce the load on the solenoid 86, a pair of weight members 90 are provided on the correspoding ends of the yoke arms to counterbalance the forces applied to the yoke on the other side of its fulcrum, including the force necessary to cam the ratchet wheel 44 rotatively in the setting of the batch print wheels 34. Preferably, a pair of springs 92 are provided to dampen vibrations of the yoke, these springs being attached to the weighted ends of the yoke arms and anchored to the gear housing 10. An adjustment member in the form of a screw 94- is mounted in the top of bracket 82 to limit return rotation of the yoke. It will be apparent that by means of the adjustment screw 94, the range of vertical movement of the cam followers may be set such that the angular motion imparted to the ratchet wheel 44 will rotate the batch print wheels 34 through angular distances to position the next printing element thereon to the printing position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the vertically movable sleeve 66 has an internal bore wherein a journalled cage 95 contains a plurality of roller bearings 97 which allow free vertical movement of the sleeve. This journal also journals shaft 42 rotatively. The batch print wheels 34 may be set manually, if desired, by pressing the sleeve 66 downwardly, the upper end of the sleeve preferably being closed by a cap 69.

With particular reference to FIG. 8, the pinion type pawl 48 is formed integral with and on the lower end of the shaft 52 shank which is received in a central vertical bore of a rotatable clutch member of sleeve 98, the pinion shaft being afiixed to the sleeve 98 by a transverse pin or set screw 100. Fixed in and to the pawl operating arm 46 is a clutch member or vertical sleeve 162 which receives a lower end portion 104 of reduced diameter of sleeve 98. As shown, the outer peripheries of the sleeve are contigu ous and of the same diameter and surrounding both said peripheries there is a yieldable connecting means or helical coil spring 106; This spring is wound tightly about the clutch sleeves 98 and 102 with the'ends of the springs respectively anchored to the sleeves to hold the pinion 48 against rotation relative to operating arm 46 when the latter is rotated in' one direction or direction for setting the batch print wheels 34. In the opposite direction of rotation of the operating arm 46, which is eifected by the biasing springs 65, the pinion is free to rotate relative to its operating arm since in this direction of rotation, the clutch spring 106 is unwound.

Operation In operation, the print wheel 16 rotates continuously to print or endorse checks guided between the print wheel and pressure whee1'28, each check being imprinted on the back thereof with the name of a bank, the check batch number and the date. It will be noted, that the ratchet wheel 44 and thepawl operating lever 46 rotate with the print wheel through the abutting connection between the cam followers 62 and the cams 60 and the piniontype pawl 48. When another batch of checks are to be run through the printer, requiring the'imprinting thereon of a diiferent batch number than the checks of the preceding batch, the printer is first stopped after which it is only necessary for the machine attendant to depress and thus close the push button switch 88 in order to advance each of the batch print wheels 34 one digit. When the push button switch 88 is closed, the solenoid 94) is pulsed and acting through arm 84 pivots the yoke in a clockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 1. This moves the sleeve 66 downwardly on shaft 42 and the cam followers 62 carried thereby, the cam followers acting against the cams 60 to impart rotative motion to the pawl operatmg lever 46.

Since the pinion type pawl 48 is locked by spring 106 against rotation by the rotative motion imparted to lever 45 by the cam follower and cam, it will be seen that the ratchet wheel 44 is rotated and in turn rotates the batch print wheels 34. The angular displacement of the print wheels 40 is determined by the cam rise and gear ratio so as to rotate the print wheel one digit each time the solenoid 66 is pulsed. Following the pulsing of the solenoid 66 and setting of the batch print wheels 34, the solenoid 86, of course, becomes deenergized which allows the return springs to rotate the pawl lever 46 to its home position in which the cam followers 62 are in engagement with the cams 60. During this return stroke of the pawl, the pinion type pawl 48 is free to rotate about the ratchet wheel 44 since in this direction of rotation of the pawl carrying arm 46, the spring 106 releases pinion 48 from sleeve 102.

While I have shown and described my printer in considerable detail, it will be apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printing apparatus, a driven rotatable member, a print wheel carried by said rotatable member radially outwardly from the axis of rotation of the latter, said print wheel being rotatable relative to said rotatable member to position a selected one Of a plurality of peripherally spaced print elements in printing position, a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said rotatable member coaxially thereof and in mesh with said print wheel, an arm journaled on said rotatable member coaxially thereof, a pawl in mesh with said ratchet wheel and carried by said arm, a cam member on said arm, and cam means mounted on said rotatable member and movable axially thereof against said cam member to impart rotation to said arm in said one direction.

2. In a printing apparatus, a driven rotatable supporting member, a print wheel carried by said supporting member and positioned outwardly of the axis of said supporting member, said print wheel being rotatable relative to said supporting member to position a selected one of a plurality of print elements to av peripheral printing position, a vertical shaft carried by and rotatable with said supporting member coaxially thereof, a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft above said supporting member and operatively connected to rotate said print wheel, an arm journalled on said shaft above said ratchet wheel, a gear in mesh with said ratchet wheel, said gear carried by and depending from said arm, means on said arm holding said gear against rotation in one direction so as to impart rotation to said ratchet wheel upon rotation of said arm in one direction, a cam member on said arm, and cam means slidably mounted on said shaft to move downwardly against said cam member and impart rotation to said arm in said one direction.

3. In a printing apparatus, a first driven print wheel, a second print wheel mounted on said first print wheel with the axis of rotation of said second print wheel in radially spaced parallel relation to the axis of said first print wheel, said second print wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced print elements, a ratchet wheel mounted coaxially of said first print wheel and rotatable relative thereto in one direction only, said ratchet wheel connected to turn said second print wheel in a direc tion opposite to said one direction to present a different one of the plurality of print elements to print position, an arm mounted coaxially with said first print wheel and rotatable in said one direction only, a pinion carried by said arm in mesh with said ratchet wheel, means normally holding said pinion against rotation relative to said arm, first cam means on said arm and revolvable about the axis of said first print wheel, second cam means rotatable with said first print wheel and abutting said first cam means and through said pinion normally rotating said ratchet wheel, said first cam means also movable axially of the axis of said first print Wheel against said second cam means to turn said ratchet wheel in said one direction when said first print Wheel is at rest, and

parallel relation, said second print wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced print elements, a ratchet wheel mounted coaxially of said first print wheel and rotatable relative thereto in said one direction only, said ratchet Wheel connected to turn said second print wheel to advance the next preceding print element to printing position, an arm rotatably mounted coaxially of said ratchet Wheel, a rotatable pinion carried by said arm in mesh With said ratchet wheel, said pinion rotatable relative to said arm on rotation of said arm in a direction opposite to said one direction, a clutch member operable to hold said pinion against rotation thereof relative to said arm When said arm is rotated in said one direction, a cam member on and rotatable With. said arm, cammeans rotatable with said first print Wheel and movable axially thereof to engage said cam memher to rotate said ratchet Wheel in said one direction, and cooperable abutment means on said cam member and cam means to drive said ratchet Wheel in said one direction by rotation of said first print Wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,208,642 Pitney Dec. 12, 1916 1,766,783 Grandjean June 24,1930 2,442,574 Storck June 1, 1948 2,823,285 Stone Feb. 11. 1958 

1. IN A PRINTING APPARATUS, DRIVEN ROTATABLE MEMBER, A PRINT WHEEL CARRIED BY SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE LATTER, SAID RING WHEEL BEING ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER TO POSITION A SELECTED ONE OF A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERALLY SPACED PRINT ELEMENTS IN PRINTING POSITION, A RATCHET WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER COAXIALLY THEREOF AND IN MESH WITH SAID PRINT WHEEL, AN ARM JOURNALED ON SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER COAXIALLY THEREOF, A PAWL IN MESH WITH SAID RATCHET WHEEL AND CAR- 